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TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — North Lake Tahoe and Truckee will celebrate Independence Day, the federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, with parades, pancake breakfasts and a slew of fireworks displays.

BGCNLT PANCAKE BREAKFAST

On Friday, July 4, the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe will host a pancake breakfast “Cakes on the Lake” at the North Tahoe Event Center, 8318 North Lake Blvd. in Kings Beach. The children and staff will serve a full pancake breakfast with strawberries, whipped cream, sausage, juice, milk and plenty of coffee from 8-10:30 a.m.

Work on the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project will be suspended on July 1, leaving plenty of parking in and around the Event Center. The Boys and Girls Club will partner with the North Tahoe Public Utility District and Aim High. All proceeds will go to programs for youth programs.

Visit with friends and neighbors during this 30-year tradition.

MEEKS BAY FIRE PANCAKE BREAKFAST

The Meeks Bay Volunteer Firefighters Association will hold its 47th Annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6, 8 a.m.-noon, with proceeds to benefit the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District.

The popular Meeks Bay Fire T-shirts, sweats, aprons, logo items and the Meeks Bay Fire Ladies Auxiliary Cook Book will be available for purchase. “Fire Chief” helmets will be available for the “little chiefs” visiting the station.

Breakfast is $9 adults (over 12 years); $6 children (6 –11 years); and free under age 5. Meet the firefighters, get Defensible space and home safety information and see the fire engines and apparatus. All will be on display for inspection by “children” of all ages, so bring the whole family to the popular West Shore family event.

Meeks Bay Fire Station #61 is located on Highway 89 in Meeks Bay.

TRUCKEE FIRE PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Truckee Fire Protection District will host the 16th annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast. Breakfast will be held at Station 92 located at 11473 Donner Pass Road next to Wild Cherries coffee house. Truckee Fire will be serve 7-10 a.m. Adults are $7 and children $5. This year credit and debit cards and cash will be accepted. New Truckee Fire apparel will also be for sale, with a bounce house for the kids and plenty of coffee for the adults.

DONNER SUMMIT GALA

Celebrate July 4 with your neighbors on Donner Summit with the Donner Summit Area Association’s Fourth of July of Picnic, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Donner Summit Lodge back yard. Great food, Lagunitas beer, live music by Blues Monsters, and lots of great prizes. Cost of for the picnic is adults $15 and children $5. The DSAA will raffle: a Kona “Fire” mountain bike, courtesy The Backcountry and DSAA; a framed original Michael Overhauser, courtesy of the artist; and $500 cash, courtesy of DSAA members. Raffle tickets cost $10.

Fourth of July revelers will have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday a day early in Kings Beach. The North Tahoe Business Association and North Tahoe Event Center host the July 3 Fireworks and Beach Party at Kings Beach State Recreation Area, 4-10 p.m. The event includes food vendors, free watermelon eating, sand castle building, games, patriotic costume contests, music and live entertainment, glow toys, souvenirs and more. A drink garden with beer, wine and mixed drinks is also available for those 21 and older.

The sky will light up at 9:30 p.m., with fireworks that can be seen from all parts of the beach.

All preferred seating, drink and souvenir proceeds support the Kings Beach July 3 Fireworks.

Please walk, bike or use public transportation to get to North Tahoe Event Center and Kings Beach State Recreation Area. For public transportation option visit www.laketahoetransit.com.

The Tahoe City Downtown Association announces a full afternoon of activities for friends and families leading up to a spectacular fireworks display off of Commons Beach on Friday, July 4. A July Fourth Fun Zone, located in Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co.’s parking lot at 315 North Lake Blvd., will include a dunk tank, bean bag toss, putting green and more. Penney the Clown will also be on site with face painters and live music performed by Kip Yager from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Being on the lake for the Fourth of July is an iconic Lake Tahoe day. Spend it in an Independence Day parade full of beautiful boats, as the Tahoe Maritime Museum will once again host its annual Fourth of July boat parade along Tahoe’s west shore. Call 530-525-9253, ext. 100 or email matt@tahoemaritime.org to have your boat recorded as part of the parade. Leaving a message is fine. Next step is to simply show up in your boat in front of Commons Beach in Tahoe City (don’t go in too close, it is shallow), just west of the Tahoe City Marina at 11:45 a.m. Look out for Stardust, the museum’s ride boat that will lead the parade. The parade will start at noon and end in front of Obexer’s Marina.

Truckee Americana

Grab a spot along Donner Pass Road and soak up Americana at the annual Truckee Fourth of July Parade, featuring the Wells Fargo horse-drawn stagecoach, Truckee River Drill Team and Olympic athletes including Julia Mancuso, Tamara McKinney and Travis Ganong.

This year’s parade theme was inspired by the blend of traditional and contemporary spirit in #TruckeeMoments, a hashtag movement that has harnessed visitor and local energy into a vibrant experience. Attendees and participants are encouraged to share parade pictures to social media and tag with #TruckeeMoments.

If you’ve purchased a $6 ticket from Truckee Donner Recreation & Parks beforehand, make your way to Donner Lake Beach for the town barbecue and wait for dusk to roll in and fireworks start over Donner Lake.

Homewood Fine Arts and Crafts Festival

Homewood Mountain Resort celebrates Independence Day weekend with the Homewood Fine Arts and Crafts Festival July 4-6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. This free event brings more than 50 artists in a variety of media including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, photography and more.

Incline Village is proud to host the eighth annual Red, White and Tahoe Blue Festival July 3-5 featuring live performances by Billy Ray Cyrus and the Reno Philharmonic. A full calendar of 25 events spans the three days making this an Independence Day spectacular.

Take the kids out for the Children’s Patriotic Chalk Drawing, Ice Cream Eating Contest, Kids’ Bike Parade and more. For the adults, head over to the Wine and Dine dinner or Beer and Brats event. Live music heats up the beach July 3, but moves to Village Green on July 4 and 5.

MSN ranks the Red, White and Tahoe Blue fireworks show as one of the best in the country.